RALEIGH -- When police went to a North Raleigh apartment to investigate a stolen cellphone, they discovered hundreds of phony gift cards and a machine that could reproduce phony credit-card numbers.
The seven suspects arrested Wednesday as a result of the discovery remained in the Wake County jail Friday, with bail for each set at $1 million, authorities reported.
Three New York men - Ibrahim Diablo, 25, Manado L. Bah, 20, of Bronx County, and Maidu Diablo, 22, of Syracuse - are charged with one felony count each of financial card forgery and criminal possession of a financial transaction card forgery device, according to arrest warrants filed Thursday at the Wake County District Attorney's Office.
Four North Carolina residents - Keshena Danielle-Roberts Joyner, 23, and Jakema Harris, 18, both of New Bern; and Jasmin N. McCartney, 22, and Seiko Gained Barrie, 25, both of Raleigh - face the same charges.
Investigators say the seven defrauded various banks and credit-card companies by encoding stolen credit-card numbers onto gift cards and doing multiple unauthorized credit-card transactions.
Police spokeswoman Laura Hourigan said that when officers arrived at 4920-F Wallingford Drive just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday to investigate a report of a stolen phone, officer J.L. Rimier smelled marijuana coming from inside the residence.
Inside, police discovered about 200 gift cards to retail outlets, American Express and VISA, Hourigan said.
Police have not yet determined how long the operation has been going on or how much money and merchandise the suspects have obtained with the phony cards.
"It could be a pretty big case," Hourigan said.
